Quick Links
- Check the Lighting Cable
- Try a Different USB Port
- Update or Reinstall iTunes
- Update Your Windows PC
- Fix Driver Issues on Windows
- Reset Your iPhone and Windows PC or Mac
- Contact Apple Support
- Use an iTunes Alternative
- Use Your iPhone and Mac Together
If your iPhone won't connect to your computer, you're not alone. Many people face this frustrating issue. It can be something as simple as a busted cable, a driver issue, or a buggy instance of iTunes.
When iTunes or your computer won't recognize your iPhone, or if you're getting the "0xE" or "unknown" error, follow the steps below to fix the issue.
1. Check the Lighting Cable
If your Lightning cable is broken or frayed, this can lead to connection issues and result in your iPhone not connecting to your Windows PC or Mac. First, test if your iPhone will charge when plugged into your computer (or a different source like a wall outlet). If it doesn't charge, it's definitely the cable's fault.
In this case, try switching to a new Lightning cable. If you don't want to buy a new cable from Apple, get an MFi-certified Lightning cable from AmazonBasics. Alternatively, you can borrow a cable from your friend to test if yours is bad.
2. Try a Different USB Port
If it's not the cable, it might be the port. It's quite possible that a USB port on your computer has stopped working.
To rule this out, try connecting your phone using a different port, with a cable you know is working. If it connects, you've got a bad USB port on your machine.
3. Update or Reinstall iTunes
Once you've ruled out cable and USB port issues, your issue may lie with the iTunes software. It's possible that the version of iOS on your device isn't supported by the iTunes version you have installed.
You should thus update iTunes to eliminate bugs and software incompatibility. On macOS Mojave, iTunes comes bundled with macOS software updates. Head to System Preferences > Software Update to check for and install the latest updates. For earlier versions of macOS, open the App Store and go to the Updates section to check for new iTunes updates.
On macOS Catalina and later, however, your iPhone connects to your Mac via Finder. The only way to update Finder is by updating the Mac's system software.
To update iTunes on your Windows PC, open the iTunes app and go to Help > Check for Updates. If you downloaded iTunes from the Microsoft Store, you'll have to get to the Store's Download and updates section to check for and install iTunes updates.
If you're on Windows, you should also try reinstalling iTunes if updates don't make a difference. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features and uninstall everything related to iTunes, iCloud, and Bonjour. You can then download a fresh copy of iTunes from the Microsoft Store or the Apple website.
4. Update Your Windows PC
The latest version of iTunes for Windows is compatible with Windows 7 and higher. If you're still using an old version, such as Windows XP, you can't use the current version of iTunes.
It's also possible that your Windows build has a bug that's preventing your iPhone from connecting. Try installing all available updates for Windows (learn more in our article about managing Windows updates). You can do that by selecting Start > Settings > Windows Update.
While it's unlikely to be an issue with modern systems, you should also review the iTunes for Windows system requirements on Apple's website to make sure your computer can run iTunes properly.
5. Fix Driver Issues on Windows
If applying Windows updates didn't solve your problem, drivers might be the underlying cause of your issue. For the uninitiated, drivers are responsible for how external devices communicate with your Windows PC. And if the drivers are damaged or outdated, they might stop iTunes from recognizing your iPhone (which is why you should learn how to find and replace outdated Windows drivers).
There are two ways to fix this problem, depending on where you installed iTunes from (Apple's website or the Microsoft Store). Either way, you need to reinstall the Apple Mobile Device USB driver.
If You Downloaded iTunes From Apple's Website
Follow these steps:
- Disconnect your iPhone from the computer.
- Unlock your iPhone, go to the Home Screen, and reconnect your device. If iTunes opens up, quit the app.
- Open a File Explorer window.
- In the address bar at the top of the File Explorer, enter the following location and press Enter:
%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers
- Right-click on the usbaapl64.inf or usbaapl.inf file, and choose Install.
- Disconnect your iPhone and restart your PC. Then, reconnect it and open iTunes.
If You Downloaded iTunes From the Microsoft Store
Windows 10 and 11 users have the option to install iTunes from the Microsoft Store, which we recommend as it makes updates much simpler. If you have the Microsoft Store version installed, follow the instructions below to reinstall the Apple Mobile Device USB driver:
- Disconnect your iPhone, unlock it, and then reconnect it again to your PC. If iTunes opens, quit the app first.
- Right-click on the Start button and choose Device Manager.
- Find and expand the Portable Devices section.
- Look for your iPhone, right-click on the device, choose Update driver, and select Search automatically for updated driver software.
- After the update is done, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and make sure no other updates are pending.
- Open iTunes and see if your computer recognizes your iPhone.
Troubleshooting the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver
If your iPhone won't connect to your computer even after following the steps above, you'll need to troubleshoot the Apple Mobile Device USB driver further. To do this:
- Right-click on the Start button and choose Device Manager.
- Find the Universal Serial Bus controllers section and look for the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver.
- If you don't see the driver, try connecting your iPhone with a different cable or use a different PC to sync your iPhone.
- Assuming you see the driver, check to see if third-party security apps are blocking your device from connecting. Try turning off any antivirus tools and attempting the connection again. After doing this, it's worth reinstalling the usbaapl64.inf or usbaapl.inf file again (as discussed above).
6. Reset Your iPhone and Windows PC or Mac
If nothing above has worked, the last step is to reset your iPhone and your Windows PC or Mac.
To reset your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.
This will wipe all data on your iPhone. As you're not able to back up using iTunes, you should make an iCloud backup before proceeding so you don't lose any data.
Similarly, you can reset your Windows PC by going to Settings > System > Recovery > Reset PC. For more details, refer to our Windows factory reset guide. Again, make sure to create a backup before doing this because doing so will erase all the data on your machine. If you use a Mac, you can use macOS Recovery to reset macOS to factory defaults.
7. Contact Apple Support
If the issue persists, you'll need to contact Apple Support. Use the Apple Support page to talk to a customer care representative and ask for help.
8. Use an iTunes Alternative
If iTunes or Finder continues to fail to recognize your iPhone, you may want to use a third-party iPhone manager to sync your iPhone.
In some cases, an app like iMazing offers better features, like two-way sync, one-click backups from any device, and more. You can also selectively sync individual items like photos and music.
Download: iMazing (Free, premium version available)
Use Your iPhone and Mac Together
Hopefully, the solutions above fixed your issue and you're back to using your iPhone with your Mac or PC. If not, it's best to get your iOS device looked at by an Apple Genius at the nearest Apple Store.